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Questions & Answers

Q1 : Hi, I have had high cholesterol for many years and had a heart bypass surgery done slightly more than a year ago. After the surgery, the doctor at the hospital prescribed Crestor for me and I have been taking that until about 3 months ago during my monthly checkup at my regular GP, I was told that I can actually take a generic cholesterol medication that is as effective as Crestor but at a much cheaper price. So, I decided to try it out. 2 months after taking this generic medication, I was diagnosed with gallstones. My children felt that it was caused by the generic cholesterol medication. Is that true? Is the generic cholesterol medication causing me more harm? Should I stop taking it and switch back to Crestor?

Just to explain more on the term generic drugs Generic drugs contain exactly the same active ingredients, in the same amount, as the branded drug versions.

Not only do non-name brand generic drugs contain the same active ingredients, but just like the branded medications, they are also subjected to the same testing and safety requirements.

The only differences between branded and generic versions of the same drug tend to be the inactive ingredients content such as binders, coloring, etc which are used to form the color and shape of the pills.

While an exceptionally small number of patients sometimes experience temporary, mild side effects (headache, stomach upset) when switching from a branded version to a generic drug, the vast majority of people usually have no issues at all.

It would also be the best for you to consult your doctor as well to countercheck regarding your concerns on Crestor and it’s generic.

Ms Sinthu d/o Samikkannu
Pharmacist at Unity Great World City

Q2 : Recently, I noticed my urine is cloudy and I feel discomfort and sometimes pain when urinating. I did a search online and these seem to be symptoms of UTI. How can I be sure if I have contracted UTI?

Urinary tract infections are common and can usually be effectively treated with a course of antibiotics.

Nevertheless most cases will subside without treatment after a few days although sever cases may require hospitalization. Common symptoms of a urinary tract infection include:
•A burning pain on urination
•Frequent urge to urinate but not much urine is passed each time
•The urine is cloudy, is pink or red, or has a bad smell
•Some pain in the bladder/hip region and/or lower back may be present

Your symptoms appear consistent with that of a urinary tract infection.
Other information that would be useful to best advise you are:
•How old are you?
•Are you male or female?
•How long have you had the symptoms?
•Is there any discharge or blood?
•Have these symptoms occurred before, and how were they treated?
•Has there been any associated symptoms such as a fever, vomiting?
•Is there any difficulty urinating?

The best advice at this point would be to consult your doctor to confirm the diagnosis and if required obtain antibiotics to treat the condition.

Ms Catherine Guo
Pharmacist at Marine Parade

Q3 : Hi there, I am a 40-year-old healthy (I supposed) guy. It is coming to Chinese New Year. I tell myself not to eat too much but I think I will over eat. Can tell me what medicine to take to treat pain in stomach, lots of ’wind’, feeling sick and want to vomit. I always feel like that when I over eat.

One medicine that may help alleviate the wind and nausea associated with overindulgence is Domperidone. It works by helping the food in your stomach move down through your digestive system more quickly, which in turns relieves the feelings of nausea, bloatedness and general discomfort of indigestion.

You may take one 10mg tablet of Domperidone, up to three times a day. Try to take your dose of Domperidone at least half to one hour before the meal. If you take Domperidone after a meal or only when the symptoms appear, it will still work, but it will be longer before it takes effect.

Up to two weeks’ supply of Domperidone can be purchased from a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription. Please consult the pharmacist, so that the best treatment option can be provided for you.

Finally, try not to over indulge! You may find that certain foods trigger these symptoms more so than others. The usual culprits include foods that are particularly oily or spicy, and these should be consumed in smaller portions.

Best wishes for Chinese New Year!

Pharmacist at Unity Thomson Plaza

Q4 : Recently, it has been quite stressful getting the children back to school and deadlines to meet at work. I have been having headaches quite often usually towards the evening at the back of the head but taking a couple of pain tablets helped. My husband thinks it might be migraine? What are the symptoms of migraine? Thank you.

There are a few types of headaches, and it is important to distinguish between the types.

In migraine headaches, the pain is usually one-sided (at the front or side of the head). The pain is usually moderate to severe, and described as throbbing or pulsating. The pain is also made worse by movement.

Each episode of migraine can last from 4 to 72 hours, with accompanying nausea, vomiting, and an intense dislike of bright lights and loud noises. Sufferers usually feel a strong need to lie down in a dark and quiet room.

In certain patients, the headache is preceded by an aura, which may serve as a warning sign that a headache is impending within the next hour or so. Auras include: flashes of light, objects appearing to have a shimmering zig zag border, temporary loss of vision, numbness, pins and needles, unexplained odd smells, and other strange sensations.

After a migraine attack, you may feel drained and “washed out”.

Tension headaches are often mistaken for migraine. These are more common than migraine headaches, and the pain of a tension headache is described as a dull, mild to moderate band-like tightness around the head. These headaches do not affect daily tasks, unlike migraine, which can be debilitating. Tension headaches are often triggered off by stressors such as the ones you mentioned e.g. work-related stress, change of morning routine after the school holidays.

One last thing to note is that overuse of painkillers can also lead to rebound or “medication overuse” headaches, so if you find that you need these on a regular basis, then it may be time to seek medical advice.

Pharmacist at Unity Thomson Plaza

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